1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a voltage comparator.
2. Description of the Background Art
An object of Voltage comparators is comparing a comparison voltage with a reference voltage and reporting the result at an output with the least possible time lag. Analog comparators function as an interface between analog and digital functional units. The analog amplitude input signal (voltage) is transformed into a binary output signal (voltage). Either an H level (high level, high voltage) or an L level (low level, low voltage) appears at the output. Comparator circuits are, for example, special amplifiers, which, like operational amplifiers, can have a differential input and an asymmetrical output. The output stage of the comparator is generally designed such that it is compatible with the logic levels of several families of digital logic circuits. This means that digital circuits can be driven by the comparator output without interposing additional elements. In this regard, comparators can be operated with or without feedback (hysteresis).
Typical comparator applications are threshold switches (level detectors), window discriminators, rectifier circuits for small signals, Schmitt triggers and other multivibrator circuits, which are used for purposes including sharpening edges and converting time-varying, e.g. sinusoidal, voltages into a square-wave sequence.